A New Hope
by blueenvelopes
Summary: An exiled and battered Darth Plagueis aka Snoke plots with Darth Vader for the soul of Luke Skywalker. You know how it ends in the Death Star throne room, but do you know how we got there? This AU short story provides the context to the Snoke-Kylo Ren relationship found in my Reylo fics.
1. Chapter 1

This is either a trap or an opportunity. And either way, Vader risks death by being here. But he is not a man who has ever shied from danger. And, besides, his life is miserable enough these days that he's willing to take this chance.

The overture had come at a weak moment. He's sure the timing had not been an accident.

Sidious' old castoff manservant marches before him. The masked Sith has his sword lit and poised at the man's back. Old Milo will be the first to die if this is a ruse.

He follows the old man deeper into the ancient temple, ducking for the low clearance at the final doorway. The route up to this point has been circuitous, but the Sith committed it to memory. He may need to make a quick exit.

Their destination is a cavernous room that is empty but for a large stone table in the center. From an open skylight high above bright sunlight filters down from Naboo's surface. Even still, the room is draped in sepulchral gloom.

A man stands before the table, waiting with his back turned. The figure is tall, topping even himself. And he is cloaked and hooded in flowing black. The Sith hears the sound of heavy assisted breathing that is not his own.

"Who are you?" he demands without preamble. He's a man of action, not a man of words.

The stranger answers with a command. "Put away your weapon. I mean you no harm." The man's voice is low and gravelly with a cultured accent he cannot place.

Vader considers a moment. Then extinguishes his sword. But the saber hilt remains firmly grasped in his hand. He's a man who has been at war since his teenaged years, and he is vigilant by nature. And everything about this clandestine meeting smacks of danger. Terrible, life altering danger.

The Sith can feel the Shadow Force swirling around him, its frantic eddies and flows a prologue to the imminent change to come. Yes, what happens here today will matter. And whoever this cloaked man is, he matters too. Like his cruel Master, this stranger appears to be completely ordinary in the Force. But his gut tells him that is a lie.

For the first time, he is glad that he has come.

"Milo, leave us," the stranger commands.

The servant bows and begins to withdraw, but Vader ignites his saber to stop him in his tracks. The masked Sith is unwilling to lose the potential leverage of his hostage. He doesn't know if this old man's life has any value to trade, but it's all he has. "He stays."

The mysterious figure turns now to face him, but his features are hidden in the shadows of his hood. The man's tone is patiently chiding. "Do not murder poor Milo. He is your ally, not your enemy. And good help is hard to find. Even for the Sith."

Milo is a spy, that much is clear. Whether he is an ally remains to be seen. "He stays."

"Very well." The cloaked figure does not debate the point. Neither of them is here to talk about old Milo.

"Who are you?" Vader demands again impatiently.

The cloaked figure reaches to toss back his hood. "I am Darth Plagueis the Wise. Apprentice to Tenebrous and Master to Sidious."

Those claims may or may not be true. But what is true is that this man is horribly disfigured like himself. And wearing a respirator like himself. Standing facing one another, each draped in black, there are more similarities than differences.

He sees that the man's breathing apparatus is discrete, covering only his mouth. It must be optional then. A crutch, but not a necessity. The rest of his face is bare. The man has a gaping hole in his left cheek and a misshapen jaw, most of one ear is gone, and a glaring scar extends down the center of his forehead much like himself. As far as he can tell, the man is humanoid, but not human. With grayish white skin reminiscent of a Muun.

The masked Sith takes his time to look his full before responding curtly. "Liar. Plagueis is long dead."

And this provokes a sly chuckle. "Oh, he's not dead. Not yet." And, surprisingly, the man smiles. From behind the respirator, he can't see the man's mouth but he can see his cheeks lift and his eyes squint from the movement. "Not dead," he repeats. "Not ever."

"What do you want?" He gets right to the point. The longer he lingers here, the more dangerous it is. He's not here to play games.

"I wished to meet you. And I wished to thank you."

To thank him? That's not the typical reaction Vader gets. He smirks behind the mask.

Again, the mysterious man chides him. "You should cloak yourself in the Force, Lord Vader. You are far too easy for a Jedi to sense. I could feel you in the Force miles away."

He bristles at this condescension. Arrogance has long been his default response to criticism. "I have no need to hide. There are no Jedi."

The man grunts at his. Dark eyes look straight into his mask and seem to look straight through him. "You and I both know that there are still Jedi."

The stranger cocks his head now as he observes, "You do not know how to hide in the Force, do you?" The man with the ruined face so like his own shakes his head in disdain. "Sidious teaches you nothing. Hiding in the Force is the first lesson of being a Sith and he does not teach it. Sheev is such a disappointment . . . such a disappointment."

And again, Vader bristles. Not on his Master's behalf, but on his own. For as long as he can remember, whether Jedi or Sith, someone has found him to be lacking.

"Yes, I know how much he fears your power. How he worries that one day you will eclipse him. I know that he keeps you away from his inner circle. That he keeps you on a short leash busy on endless, pointless missions. I know that he teaches you very little of the Dark Side of the Force. That you were stronger as a Jedi than you are now as a Sith." The man waves away one spindly fingered hand as if to indicate that he could go on and on with these complaints. "I know these things, you know these things. But do you know why?"

So now it's a guessing game? He'll play along. "Why?"

"Because Sheev Palpatine knows that you are my son."

What? Vader frowns and is silent at this bold claim.

"Yes, Anakin Skywalker, I am your father."

"That's not true," he scoffs, unimpressed and annoyed. "That's impossible." Whoever this poseur is, he's not even human. He couldn't possibly be his father.

"Anything is possible in the Force. You are not my biological child. I created you in the Force. I have devoted my life to the scientific study of the Force. After years of research, I have learned how to create life anew, how to extend life indefinitely, and how to resurrect it once lost. I am a Sith Master with the power of a god. And you, Lord Vader, are my son."

He says nothing to this proud speech.

"Yes . . . search your feelings. The Jedi Chosen One long foretold was created by a Sith. Fitting is it not? For you are to bring balance to the Force. But you will never achieve that with Sidious. He fears the Light, disdains it. Arrogantly thinks to eliminate it. Heed my words that is a fool's errand, Lord Vader. The Light and the Dark shall ever coexist. No matter how many Jedi you slaughter, you will never succeed in stamping out the Light. And you risk provoking the Force to strike back against you in the process."

The man shrugs. "Oh, I have no issue with the destruction of the Jedi Order. In fact, I thank you for it. And I thank you for destroying Dooku. Once you destroy Kenobi and Yoda, you will have achieved my revenge for me."

"Revenge for what?"

"For my wife and for my biological son who the Jedi irreparably harmed."

"Then, you're welcome," Vader says dryly.

The stranger nods at this and then resumes speaking. "Years ago, my wife saw you in the Force. She saw the birth of your twin children, the death of your wife, and the rise of your Jedi Rebel son. I know your history and your future, Lord Vader, and I can help you and your son achieve your destiny."

Twin children? A son? These are lies. Cruel lies that remind him of a future that he has lost and a love that he cannot let die. "My wife is dead. My children died with her." This topic is closed.

But the stranger does not take the hint. "Your wife died in childbirth but your children live. The Jedi have them. My wife saw it in a vision."

He does not want to speak about this. For of all the mistakes he has made through the years-and there are many-there is none Vader regrets more than harming his Padme. "You lie. Visions lie."

"That is the Jedi in you talking. Did the Order have you too long? Sidious and I discussed many times whether we should simply steal you away. Perhaps we made the wrong decision. Of course, even then Sidious was jealous of your power. And now he holds you back like the Jedi once held you back. Everyone fears your power, Lord Vader."

The stranger pauses to let this flattery sink in before making his offer. Of course, he thinks cynically to himself, there is an offer. He knows the ways of the Sith.

"With my help, you can be rid of Sidious forever."

"So I can be your apprentice instead?" he challenges. These words drip with sarcasm. Yes, he knew this was coming. And while deposing Sidious has its appeal, he won't exchange one lying manipulative master for another.

"My son, whether you will admit it or not, you need a teacher."

"I have a Master. I don't need another." He has long ago grown tired of having someone tell him what to do.

"Ah, but I can give you an apprentice. You have a son, Lord Vader. A boy strong in the Force and untrained. Left a fallow, rich field all these years. Ready to learn and to grow."

"Visions lie." He repeats the conventional wisdom of the Jedi. The Order was wrong about a great many things, but not that.

The stranger counters softly. "My wife was a powerful seer. Never once have I known her foresight to fail. I trust in her. I trust in the Force. She gave us all the clues we need to rescue him. To bring him home."

Vader pushes aside the temptation to believe in this fallacy. He has been a fool for beguiling lies like this before, and he will not be a fool again. Visions have only misled him in the past. So resolutely, he ignores them now.

But the momentary hesitation is noted. "You have had these visions too, then? Do you know of the boy who waits for you to claim him? Who knows only lies and is hungry for the truth? He is strong, Lord Vader. So ssstrong."

The stranger relishes his words. And he hears the craving for power behind it. Yes, this is another Sith who seeks to use him. And to use his son, if the boy even exists.

"No."

"Do not dare lie to me, son. I see through you. You have suspected this boy. Yes . . . I see it in your mind." The stranger shifts postures back to persuasion now. "I will train you both. Then together, you and the boy can destroy Sidious."

"You would use me to achieve your own revenge."

"It is our revenge. And your opportunity. I taught Sheev Palpatine everything he knows. But I did not teach him everything I know." The cloaked man with the ruined face steps forward. Then closer still. Now he can see the full extent of the damage and it is considerable. "Sidious was a satisfactory apprentice. But I knew that you would one day come along to replace him. And so I saved all my best secrets for you, my son."

"You speak treason."

The man chuckles at this. "No, I speak as a Sith. And it is a time honored tradition for an apprentice to supplant his master. Consider the matter, Lord Vader. With my help, you could rule the galaxy with your son at your side. A dynasty of Skywalker Sith princes. Grandfather, father and son. All allied and unstoppable in the Force."

It's a heady thought, but quickly he brushes it aside. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because we are family." Again, Vader glimpses the suggestion of a slow smile behind the respirator. "And because you will never get a better offer. Consider it well. Milo will know how to contact me." The stranger turns to leave.

And he's curious, despite his better judgment. "Wait. The other twin. Is it a girl?"

The man does not turn back around. "Yes."

"She is strong in the Force?" he wants to know. Does she look like Padme, he wonders.

And now the man half turns back to him as he responds. "Not as strong as the boy. And women do not make good Sith. Dooku tried and failed with one. Women may be the far more emotional sex, but rarely do they have the temperament and fortitude to be Sith. Women are so easily manipulated." Again, Vader sees that hint of a smile behind the respirator. "It's part of what makes them so delightful, don't you think?"

"But your wife with the visions-she was Sith? On the Dark Side?" He's curious.

"Oh, no. Lady Plagueis was Jedi. She was Light through and through."

A Jedi and a Sith? That makes no sense. More lies, he's sure. But he challenges anyway, "How?"

"Because Dark and Light coexist. And so the mate for an old Dark Sith like myself was a young innocent Jedi. We balanced one another." He warms to his theme now. "We each play a role. I am the patriarch destined to rule and to teach. You are the valiant son who shall stand at my side and reclaim your boy stolen by the Jedi. And my wife," he falls silent a moment. Then resumes. "My Shan was the one to see it all long ago. She will be the one to bring our family together. For that is what women do. They create families and they hold them together."

The man raises dark eyes that once again stare deeply into his mask. "I too lost a beloved wife, Lord Vader. I might have given yours back to you, had you come to me. Sidious does not know the secrets of resurrecting the dead through the Force. Did he promise to bring her back? If he did, he lied."

This is a bitter topic. As far as he is concerned, Sith resurrections are a complete fraud. "Why didn't you bring back your own dead wife?" he demands.

"One day, I shall, Lord Vader. One day, I shall. Consider my offer well, son. And take care." The man sounds almost kindly now. "Sidious will kill you if he learns that we have met."

With that parting advice, the stranger heads for the door, moving slowly with labored effort. Surely, there must be other grave wounds concealed beneath the man's cloak, Vader thinks watching him go. He can't help but wonder. Pain is something he understands.

And then the fatherless slave boy turned Jedi turned Sith is left alone to brood. After a few moments, he reluctantly shakes off the self-indulgence. He has work to do back at the Death Star. Hopefully, that stubborn Rebel princess will have succumbed to the mind probe by now. He wants to know what happened to the plans.

And if he can find the location of the Rebel base perhaps he can crush them with one swift stroke and be done with the Alliance. And then there will be no more endless, pointless missions for his Master. He might finally be done with war and get a chance to build something. To be something more than the deadly thug that Maul was. More than the transitional figure that Tyranus was.

Darth Vader has waited a long time for the chance to make things the way he wants them to be.

"Milo," he calls to the silent servant standing behind him.

"Yes, my lord." The slight human steps up quickly and bows low in acknowledgement.

"Why did he wait so long." He's been Sith for almost twenty years. Why now?

"That is a question for Lord Plagueis, my lord." The old retainer respectfully punts his answer while he keeps his eyes low.

But the masked Sith will not be put off. For now he suspects very strongly that this man knows far more than he is letting on. "Answer me, Milo."

His castlekeeper nods and takes a breath. "I believe that Lord Plagueis was waiting for his Skywalker grandson to grow. And—"

"And what?"

"And Lord Plagueis worried that you might reject him, my lord."


	2. Chapter 2

"I knew that you would be back." The cloaked and hooded Muun he faces purrs out his smug satisfaction.

It is irritating. But Vader brushes aside the emotion. Here he is, back in the Sith temple on Naboo tempting disaster again. But the events of the last month have been deeply unsettling and, as a result, he has reconsidered the offer of this man who calls himself Darth Plagueis the Wise.

Vader tells himself that this is a fact-finding mission. If nothing else, perhaps today he will gain information. Maybe even answers. And then he will decide what to do. Because Vader finds that he is unexpectedly conflicted about reclaiming this surprise child. The past the Sith has long buried and mostly forgotten keeps rising up to confront him lately. First this Muun who claims to be Plagueis and claims to be his father shows up. Then Kenobi surfaces at long last. And now this mysterious pilot with his old surname appears on the scene.

It all smacks of danger and destiny. There are many different paths his future can take now. And exciting as that is, it is also troubling. Because there is no room for error.

Already, it seems, he has missed a good opportunity.

"The boy is a rebel." The Emperor's chief henchman announces what the whole galaxy now knows, for Luke Skywalker is the celebrated hero pilot of the Rebellion. How deeply ironic it is for Darth Vader's secret son to be number one on the Imperial Most Wanted list. Palpatine had alternated between rage and hilarity at the news. "He is lost to me already. Kenobi had him first."

The wily Muun disagrees. "He blew up your Death Star but he is no true rebel. He is a farm boy who got caught up in events of your own making. It was you, Lord Vader, who flushed the boy and Kenobi out of hiding. This is your doing, my son."

"No." Vader bristles. He has had enough blame thrust his way lately. "It was an accident that he intercepted those plans."

"That was no accident. That was the Force." The Muun Sith throws back his hood now to reveal his ruined face. Then he steps closer. His low, slow voice warns, "Sheev too will recognize it for what it is. Soon, my Apprentice will be as terrified of that young man as he is of you. The boy is powerful. Mark my words, he will be a credit to us one day."

And then the supposedly dead Sith Master neatly sums up Vader's dilemma. "You are in a very dangerous position now. Sheev will watch you closer than ever. He has a choice to make. He keeps you as Apprentice and kills the boy. Or he kills you and takes the boy as his Apprentice."

And this is why Vader had come today after old Milo had relayed another overture from the Muun. Because Vader suspects that no one alive knows Sheev Palpatine's warped genius better than his former Master. Vader might be the more competent military commander, but he knows that he is far outclassed by Palpatine when it comes to manipulation. So Vader is hoping that the Muun will provide some useful intelligence.

He does not disappoint. "Sheev loves the predictability of the Rule of Two. He will not want another Apprentice. And he won't risk keeping my son and grandson alive. Not when he knows that I live. One of you will have to die, Lord Vader."

"He thinks you're dead."

"No. Sheev knows that I am alive. He has known for decades now. He just wants you to think that I'm dead." Darth Plagueis shifts back to the topic at hand. "The boy is not lost and he is not Jedi. Kenobi did not train him."

Did not train him? Why not? That does not fit with the Jedi General who had long ago trained the former Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi had strictly adhered to the Jedi's traditional teaching strategies. So Vader now fixes the Muun with a hard stare beneath his mask, trying to assess the truth. "How do you know this?" he demands.

The answer he receives is cryptic. "I know a great many things, Lord Vader. You might be surprised."

Again, Vader bristles. He's not here to play games or to stroke this half-dead man's ego. But perhaps the Muun senses his growing impatience because he continues. "Your old Master did not train young Skywalker. Perhaps the Jedi lacked confidence in his abilities after his failure with you. But I believe the larger impediment was that your brother would not allow it."

What? "I have no brother."

"Step-brother. Owen Lars, the son of Shmi Skywalker's husband. Owen Lars fostered your boy on his moisture farm on Tatooine."

His boy grew up on Tatooine? Great. Vader scowls behind his mask. He has been hoping that the boy had been there only because of Kenobi. Because this means his long-lost kid is probably a barely literate peasant. Yet another Skywalker has toiled away on that backwater, wasteland planet. And that's one more betrayal to pin on Kenobi, as far as he's concerned.

Darth Plagueis must sense his reaction because he reveals, "I almost had him, you know. After we met I sent the local thugs to capture your boy. But Kenobi intervened and he escaped. That's what the Jedi did-he watched young Skywalker grow up from afar and stepped in now and then to avert disaster. Kenobi had very little influence on his upbringing. But unfortunately, he was there when the Tusken Raiders came for the boy."

The battered looking Muun now shoots Vader a reproachful glare. "We might have had him by now and then you would still have your Death Star and be in Sheev's good graces. And then Sheev would not know to be suspicious and we would have had all the time we needed to train the boy in secret."

'I told you so' never sits well. Especially with a Sith. So Vader gives in to his reflexive emotion: outrage. Suddenly, he's strangely protective of this Rebel son he has never met. "You sent Tusken Raiders after him? Those animals killed my mother!"

His vehemence hits a nerve and the Muun starts backpedaling as he mistakes the source of Vader's outburst. "I know, my boy. I regret how your mother died. It was I who caused her to be freed, did you know that? Perhaps I should have taken her into my household then. But I knew that it would be hard for her."

"See Milo nod over there? Milo knew my slave wife Pilar many years ago. Pilar was never truly comfortable as a free woman. To her dying day, she called me her owner instead of her husband. I feared your mother would feel the same way if I were to claim her for my own." The tall hulking figure shrugs slightly. "It also would have complicated matters with my own wife. Plus, your mother truly did love that Lars farmer. It was better this way."

The Muun keeps talking and he looks almost sheepish now as he tells Vader, "I do regret that I never made you legitimate, my son. If the Jedi had not found you first, I would have adopted you and raised you as my own. My Shan would have welcomed you into our family. You would have been raised our Sith prince."

Vader blinks from behind his mask at this oddly candid speech. For how long has Darth Plagueis been keeping tabs on him? Well, he is a man long grown. Anakin Skywalker never had a father and Darth Vader doesn't want one now. And, frankly, knowing what he knows now, he's glad he didn't grow up Sith. Besides, this is probably just more manipulation. Vader knows better than to trust this man.

But the old Muun must think he's making headway. Because now he pours on the sympathy hard sell. "Slavery is a scourge on the galaxy, Lord Vader. Its legacy is insidious and far reaching, as I am sure you know. Once together we rid ourselves of Sheev, we will abolish slavery. No longer will young boys toil in junk shops instead going to school, Anakin Skywalker. With my help, you can bring freedom and order to the galaxy. Those goals need not be inconsistent."

It's a nice speech, but Vader knows better than to believe it. In his younger days, he might have been foolishly optimistic about his ability to make meaningful change, but as a mature Sith Vader is a deeply cynical man. The Sith care about power, not about the powerless. Plus, he knows that Darth Plagueis was once the head of the Banking Clan as his alter ego Hego Damask. Slavery persists because the galaxy's moneylenders and investment types profit from it. No doubt Hego Damask profited from it as well.

Now the decrepit Muun begins to talk strategy. "The boy does not know who you are, Lord Vader. I do not know what lies Kenobi and Lars have told him, but we will discover them and use them to our advantage."

"Kenobi is dead."

"Did you get your revenge?"

"A sword through the neck," Vader announces with grim satisfaction.

"Good." Plagueis nods his approval. "Having the Jedi dead will make things easier. What do you have of young Skywalker's mother? Boys always love their mothers."

"Nothing," Vader says with regret. And this is true, he has nothing to remember his Padme by. That's why he had her portrait painted from his memory of their wedding day described to the artist. The likeness is so good that for many years he had to force himself to look at it.

"That is a pity. The boy will be curious and we will need to supply answers. We will share the truths that have long been hidden from him. That is how we will earn his trust and undermine the influence of the Jedi and the Rebellion. Our truth will be far more seductive than their lies."

Vader nods his agreement with this approach. Palpatine had said the very same thing. And now the Muun continues with his assessment of the situation. "You are the key to all of this, my son. Sheev will know this. He will send you to hunt the boy and to confront him. We will use this to our advantage."

"Lord Vader, when you find your son, you must do two things. Tell him who you are. And be merciful. Pain and suffering can be highly persuasive, but loyalty is best won with the mind and with the heart."

This advice does not sit well. For now Vader is feeling more played than ever. This Muun who at their first meeting had announced that he is Vader's own father is now instructing him to make the same announcement to Luke Skywalker. Urging Vader to manipulate his son the very same way Plagueis is attempting to manipulate him right now. Does this Muun think him to be a fool? And what is this Muun really up to?

Vader's reputation for casual violence must prompt the Muun to reiterate himself. "I am a wily old Sith, Lord Vader. I have no qualms about violence so long as it serves a purpose. But I pride myself in achieving more through plots than through pain. We are trying to create an ally. Do not lose sight of that goal."

Vader scowls behind his mask at this condescension. Perhaps this is good advice, but Vader only hears the implicit criticism that he is an unthinking brute. Well, he doesn't want to be lectured to. He doesn't need advice on how to claim his own son. And he doesn't take instructions from Darth Plagueis.

He will do this his own way.

So he changes the topic. "What about the girl? Where is the girl?"

"I do not know. The boy was simple to find with the clues my wife had seen in the Force. The Jedi hid him in plain sight, with his family on your homeworld, with your surname. It was a stupid strategy. But the Jedi never were much for subterfuge."

"Did your woman see the girl too?" Vader presses the point. The Muun doesn't seem to want to talk about the girl and that has him suspicious. Plus, Vader doesn't buy that 'women don't make good Sith' line the Muun had fed him last time. He remembers Ventress a bit differently.

"Yes. My Shan saw your daughter in the Force. All she said was that the girl looks like her mother. A little princess, she called her."

A little princess. That's an odd phrase to use. Vader will need to meditate on this. He's ready to take his leave now. "I will contact you when I have found the boy."

The Muun nods. "Once you tell the boy the truth, let him go. He will return to you out of curiosity. The first meeting is just the setup for the second. Darkness is a choice and it should not be rushed."

The first meeting is the setup for the second. Yes, just like his prior meeting with the Muun was the setup for this meeting. Again, Vader is feeling played by Darth Plagueis.

He has heard enough for today. He turns to leave.

And the Muun now feels the need to underscore his earlier point yet again. He calls after Vader's retreating form. "Remember, do not hurt the boy. No matter what leftwing Rebel propaganda he spouts, no matter what he says about Kenobi or the Jedi. And no matter what he says about you. That boy has been brought up on lies. He might not recognize the truth when he hears it. People seldom do."

Darth Vader keeps walking. What a micromanaging master Darth Plagueis must have been, he thinks. No wonder Palpatine tried to kill him.


	3. Chapter 3

It had not gone well. But if those idiots on Bespin had succeeded in deactivating the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon, he would have captured the boy all the same. But now the Rebel princess, the wookiee and his prodigal son are safe back with their terrorist friends.

Palpatine is livid.

And he himself is disappointed. Frustrated. And slightly terrified of what happens next. That's why he is back in this gloomy temple meeting once again with the mysterious Muun.

Luke Skywalker had looked nothing like Vader had expected. But upon further reflection, he sees the resemblance. His boy looks a bit like Padme. Not so much in her face but in her compact build. And his son has his wife's easy grace and quickness. The rest of the boy is a younger him. The hair, the complexion, the eyes. And also some of Anakin Skywalker's misplaced idealism, ragged focus and rash decisions.

And, of course, young Luke has his father's Force. Oh, how this boy has a connection to the Force. It is effortless and unthinking. For how else could Luke Skywalker have mastered so many skills in so little time without any real training. His boy is a veritable prodigy. And that temps Vader with exciting possibilities. For together, they truly might rule the galaxy as father and son. Without Palpatine and certainly without this fey Muun who stands before him, cloaked and hooded as usual.

"Well, did you meet him?" Darth Plagueis prods.

"Yes." Disappointment makes Vader especially terse. "He escaped."

And that is not a surprise to the crafty Muun. "That was the idea, Lord Vader."

No, that was Plagueis' idea, not his own. Vader had intended all along to capture his boy and to take him back to Bast Castle. For his son does not yet realize his importance. Young Luke has no idea how much danger he is in. Not from himself, but from Palpatine. And, very likely, from this shady Muun.

"How did you find him?"

Bounty hunters. But Vader is too proud to admit that he had to outsource the job the Imperial Navy could not do. "I lured him with his captured Rebel friends."

"Who are they?" The Muun is fishing for information.

And so Vader is deliberately vague. "Some criminals and a Rebel girl. The boy came running as soon as they felt pain."

"A girl?" The Muun considers this and then makes a bold move that reveals he knows far more than he pretends. "Is the girl the princess of Alderaan? The late Senator Bail Organa's daughter?"

"Yes," Vader confirms, wondering how the Muun knew to guess this. "My sources say the boy cares for her."

And that attraction pleases Vader. His son might be a farmboy from Tatooine but he aims high, like his slave father once did. For long ago his former self had won Naboo's queen. And now apparently young Skywalker is chasing Alderaan's royal princess. It's too bad she's a rebel, Vader thinks. And so mouthy. But her appeal isn't hard to understand, for Leia Organa certainly is a beauty. He remembers that from the Death Star interrogation.

"So young Luke Skywalker is with the Princess Leia Organa?" The Muun raises an eyebrow in patent disbelief. Then he bursts into ugly laughter and it reminds Vader of Palpatine's cackle. "The Force works in mysterious ways, my son. Mysterious ways."

"They are not together." His boy's admiration would appear to be unrequited. Vader remembers the girl confessing her love to the criminal Han Solo before Solo was frozen in carbonite. And that had been an enjoyably ironic moment. Who knew that Alderaan's prissy princess would fall for a two-bit smuggler with a bounty on his head? Her father would be so proud, Vader smirks to himself. If only Bail Organa had lived to see it.

"Good. That is for the best," the Muun remarks. And Vader has to agree. That righteous princess would have impeded their goals.

"What did you learn from the boy?" Darth Plagueis has sharp eyes that seem to look right through his mask. "Tell me about the boy."

"He is strong with the Force. And half trained at best."

"That is to be expected. Kenobi cannot help him now. In the end, it means he will have less to unlearn. What else?"

"Kenobi told him that I betrayed and murdered his father."

The Muun chuckles at this. "I suppose that is true," he muses slyly, "from a certain point of view. He was surprised then. Good," he approves. "It will force young Skywalker to reconsider much of what he has been told. Was he angry?" The Muun sounds hopeful at this.

Vader considers the question. "Disbelieving."

"How did you convince him to believe the truth? Did you tell him anything of your past?"

"No."

"Anything of yourself?"

"No."

"What about his mother? Did you tell him about his mother?"

"No."

"About his lost twin sister, then? About how together you might one day rebuild your family torn apart by the Jedi?"

"No."

"Then what did you tell the boy?" The Muun sounds impatient. He's unimpressed by what he's hearing. "Did you at least make him an offer?"

"Yes. He refused."

"Indeed. What a surprise." Darth Plagueis raises an eyebrow along with this sarcasm. He gives him a hard look. Then the Muun reaches into his voluminous robes for something. "Tell me, Lord Vader, did you make him the offer before or after this?"

Then the Muun Sith hurls to the ground at Vader's feet a clear plastic bag. Inside it is his old Jedi lightsaber hilt. And wrapped around it is his son's bloody and shriveled severed hand.

Vader just looks.

Darth Plagueis steps forward and his tone is stone cold. "So to persuade the orphaned son who thought you killed his father, you decide to capture and torture his best friends and the girl he likes? And when you finally meet the boy, you tell him who you are. But you share nothing of the man who he and the rest of the galaxy know only as a mask. You do not tease him with truths of the past and stories of his mother. You do not tempt him to find in you the family he has never had. You merely offer him the Dark Side he has been taught to fear. And then, to seal the deal, you cut off his hand?" The old Sith sneers his sarcasm. "How strategic of you to confirm everything negative the boy thinks about you."

Again, he says nothing.

"Was this necessary?" The Muun hisses as he gestures to his son's gory rotting hand. "Can the Jedi hero of the Clone Wars not out-duel a boy with no training? Surely, he was not even a credible threat to a mature Sith. Could you not gracefully have ended your fight at a draw to encourage the boy and to help him save face?"

"He landed a blow," Vader explains stiffly.

"Good for him!" the Muun roars. "You should have commended the boy's efforts rather than punished him." The Muun is seething with indignant anger now. "Your goal was to persuade, Lord Vader! To lure! To make him question everything he knows about the man he thought killed his father. About the man who commands the troops who slaughtered his foster family. About the man who put a lightsaber through the neck of his mentor. About the man who tortured his girl." Old Darth Plagueis steps back now and crosses his arms as he passes judgment. "How very deeply you disappointment me, son."

Silence hangs heavy in the air for a long moment between the two Sith.

But Vader regroups. He's Palpatine's Apprentice. He's used to criticism. So with a patience born of long practice, he shrugs it off. "The boy will be back."

"Possibly," the Muun concedes. "Our best hope now is that he will be back with revenge in his heart and we can use it to stoke his Darker impulses." The Rasputin Sith's dark eyes narrow and now flash feral yellow at him. "I am half tempted to let him kill you as his path of descent into Darkness. For if young Skywalker hates you enough to leap to certain death rather than join you, he hates you enough to kill you."

Now Vader is taken aback. How much does this Muun know and how does he know it? And how did he get the saber? His stormtroopers hadn't been able to locate it. Vader is confounded. Defensive. And now deeply suspicious.

"What about the girl?" He wants to change the subject. What's done is done. Plus, finding his son has only whetted his appetite to find his lost daughter. The stolen little princess who supposedly looks like her mother. He has to find her. For if nothing else, he owes that to his Padme. "Tell me more about the girl," Vader demands.

"Forget about the girl." The Muun waves a hand dismissively. "She is lost to us. She will never be Sith."

Vader doesn't care. Because the girl is his child and she was stolen from him. He's a possessive Sith and he wants her back. More and more, he is certain that Darth Plagueis knows where his daughter hides. And, he suspects, the Muun has known for some time. "Where is she?" he growls.

"If she is who I suspect she is, then she too is with the Rebellion. And Lord Vader, she will never reconcile to you. Not after Alderaan."

And this clue only stokes his interest in the girl. Why doesn't the Muun want him to reclaim the girl? No doubt he has some angle on the situation. A Sith always does.

"Where is she?" Vader demands again.

"She is headstrong. And she does not have much Force. The girl will only be a thorn in your side. And she will be a bad influence on her brother."

"She is my daughter!" Of course, she is headstrong. If she's anything like her mother, the girl is as stubborn and confident as they come. And Vader would very much like his girl to be like Padme.

"Let her go. Our focus is the boy. He will be more malleable and he is the far more powerful of the pair." The Muun eyes him with more reproach. "We need a strategy for the boy. Sheev will think him more powerful now that he has escaped you. And," that ruined face slants him a sideways glance, "he did land a blow."

Darth Plagueis now returns to his plotting. "You have endangered yourself further, Lord Vader. The stronger that boy appears, the more expendable you become. And if the boy is prepared to kill you, then that will become Sheev's strategy. He will pit you against one another. It is the obvious play."

"He can't kill me."

"Perhaps not, but you may be forced to kill him to save face with Sheev. Are you prepared to do that?"

"If that is his destiny."

"Beware of destiny," the Muun drawls slowly. "Do not make it a convenient excuse for failure. True destiny cannot be subverted. But the Force did not surface your long-lost child without a reason. That boy will matter, mark my words. Luke Skywalker will make history." Darth Plagueis frowns and his gargoyle visage becomes ever more hideous. "It is clear that you are not an effective messenger, Lord Vader. So I will approach the boy. He does not know to fear me. Or to hate me."

This Vader has not anticipated. And he's not sure he likes the idea. He and the Muun were supposed to be plotting together for the boy. But that could easily morph into the Muun and the boy plotting together against him.

"How will you find him?" It had taken Vader three years to finally capture his son. They don't have another three years to wait again. Palpatine will not tolerate the boy's existence in limbo that long.

"Through his sister. You have met her. On several occasions, I believe."

"Who is she?" This time Vader growls with true menace. He's not leaving until he gets an answer about the girl.

Darth Plagueis must sense his determination. Because the old Sith casually drops a bombshell on his unsuspecting self.

"Your daughter—my granddaughter in the Force-is Alderaan's Princess Leia Organa."


	4. Chapter 4

The ancient Sith waits in the shadows cloaked and hooded as is his custom. Anticipation has made him eager. Today Dark meets Light and so, of course, things will change. For from the first moment the Sith sensed the Jedi's arrival in Force, his pulse had quickened. All that raw power, ready for training and ripe for the taking. This isn't the first apprentice he has lured, but it surely will be the most powerful.

Old Milo walks into view and the Jedi has his sword drawn at the old retainer's back. Like father, like son, it seems. The Muun smiles at this. "Welcome, young Skywalker," he announces gravely. "I have been expecting you." Snoke nods approvingly to his jack-of-all-trades faithful servant. "Thank you, Milo. Leave us now. This young man and I have much to discuss."

"What is this place?" the boy demands as his eyes follow the departing retainer. Truly, the Jedi is little more than a boy. Barely twenty-three years old, with little adult life experience save war. He is small of stature, the Muun sees, like Sheev. But enormous in the Force, like a Skywalker.

"This is the ritual chamber of a Sith temple." Snoke lets those words sink in before he gestures dismissively at the gleaming green saber clutched in the Jedi's mechanical right hand. "Put away your weapon, I mean you no harm."

The boy makes no move to extinguish his sword. "Who are you?" he rasps.

The old Sith takes that as his cue to step from the shadows into the center of the room. He stands under the high skylight down from which filters Naboo's afternoon sun. "I am an exiled old Muun with the answers you seek and the knowledge you need."

"Who are you?" the boy demands again. "Who are you really?"

Snoke smiles at this nervous bravado. He reaches up to toss back his hood and reveals his battered visage. These are the marks not of time but of violence. For when two Sith cross swords, no one emerges unscathed. The old Master watches as the boy's eyes take a catalog of his visible injuries. When he has looked his fill, the Sith reveals quietly, "I am Darth Plagueis the Wise, Dark Lord of the Sith. Apprentice to Tenebrous and Master to Sidious."

Young Skywalker blinks at this information. It means nothing to him evidently. Such is the ignorance and innocence of this boy. He does not yet realize his importance, but the danger of his predicament is beginning to dawn on him. The Jedi seems to be at a loss for words, clearly fearing he is way out of his league. This, of course, is true. The Sith smiles now like a kindly grandfather. His goal is to woo, not to intimidate. Fear is not the path to the Dark Side, Snoke knows from long experience. Insecurities and good intentions usually are. And so, he begins his campaign to build both trust and doubt.

Snoke nods to the lit sword. "You are aggressive, I see. Like your father." The boy's eyes widen slightly and the Sith nods in response. "Yes, I know who your father is. So does everyone who matters right now. My boy, you have been the victim of a grand conspiracy of silence."

The youngster's eyes narrow. "I'm listening."

Snoke suppresses a smile at this response. But he is no hurry to reveal all of his secrets. "How is your hand?" he inquires as if they are on friendly terms and there is not a lit lightsaber between them. "I am afraid that your father rather bungled his introduction. But perhaps meeting the best starpilot in the galaxy intimidated Vader and he felt the need to dominate. That impossible shot was an impressive feat, young Luke."

The boy says nothing, but even in the dim light the Muun can see his cheeks flush. Praise, it seems, has been in short supply for this orphan farmboy. The Sith files that information away for future use. "Well, is it healed?"

The Jedi flexes his hand still holding his saber. "It works."

"Good," he smiles. "Tell me, how is old Master Yoda on Dagobah?" Again, the boy's eyes widen slightly and Snoke knows he has scored another hit. "Yes, I know he hides there. He knows that I live still too." Snoke shoots the boy a questioning look and raises one eyebrow. "Has Master Yoda said nothing of me? Yes, I suppose not. He would not want you to know your real family, it might spoil his plans." And now Snoke recollects wistfully, "Long ago, Master Yoda and I knew each other. Of course, back then the Master Jedi knew me as a rich, powerful and famous man. Not as a secret Sith."

"And what are you now?"

"I am richer and more powerful but regrettably less famous," Snoke flashes a self-deprecating grin. "But still Sith. The Skywalkers are always Sith."

The boys stays silent a moment and this last comment hangs in the air. "What do you want from me?" the Jedi demands. He shifts his weight and runs a nervous hand through his hair. Yes, the boy is rattled. Good. Very good.

"You, young man, have caused quite the stir of late. Since you blew up the Death Star and arrived on the scene, any number of loyalties are in question. You must take care not to fall into a trap." The towering, decrepit Sith gives the boy a meaningful look and his tone is one of fatherly advice. "There are many who would use you for their own devices. You must take care to separate lies from truth."

"Do not judge your father too harshly. He is a good man. It speaks well of a man when his enemies respect and fear him, and when his troops revere him. Lord Vader has many fine qualities for a warrior Sith. He is cunning, ruthless and an excellent battle tactician. There is much to learn from his example. But Darth Vader is a man of action, however, and not of words." The Muun slants an apologetic glance over at the young Jedi. "Let us both agree that persuasion is not Lord Vader's strong suit. That clumsy business at Bespin was regrettable in the extreme. I have expressed my displeasure to your father."

"I'll never join him!" the boy vows. His vehemence reflects in his tone and resonates through the Force. Yes, Snoke thinks, his son will never win this boy's loyalty on his own. In the wake of Bespin, there is too much conflict between father and son. He will need to play peacemaker and bridge their differences if they are to form a triumvirate of Skywalker Sith.

"Did Vader send you?" Skywalker shifts his stance and he's in classic Jedi ready position, prepared to defend an attack. Clearly, this boy is expecting violence. "If he did, you're wasting your time. I'll never join him!"

"It is your decision, of course," the Muun allows easily. "Your reluctance is understandable. But do not let your antipathy towards Lord Vader keep you from learning the truth of the matter."

"What truth? I already know he's my father."

"Kenobi and Yoda have lied to you about a great many things. Darth Vader is just the beginning. They would not call it lies, of course. For they are convinced of their wisdom and good intentions. No doubt they have rationalized it all to be true from their point of view." The boy nervously shifts his stance again and now Snoke steps forward nearly to the tip of his buzzing sword. He will feign trust in order to promote it. He looks down into the boy's eyes. "The Sith do not lie, young Jedi. We do not have to lie. Take a lesson there because I have all the truths you want to know and I will share them with you."

Again, the boy takes the bait. "What truths?"

"The truth about your parents."

"I know who Darth Vader is."

"Do you?" Snoke counters softly. "There is man behind that black mask, boy. A man who was born a slave and sold away from his mother by the Jedi. Anakin Skywalker never chose to be a Jedi. It was his only path out of bondage. Did Kenobi tell you that history? Kenobi's own mentor was the man who bought your father with winnings from a podrace. Yes," the Sith observes, "Your father had even more humble beginnings on Tatooine than did you, Luke Skywalker."

The boy is silent. Snoke watches as he visibly swallows.

With barely a pause, Snoke keeps going. "Did Master Yoda tell you that he opposed training your father as a Jedi? Did you know that Yoda advocated that your father be sent back to Tatooine, presumably back into slavery? It was only Anakin Skywalker's remarkable public heroism that forced Yoda to permit his training. The stated objection had been your father's then advanced age of ten years old. He was too old to train, according to the Jedi Council. You are now how old, son?" Snoke asks innocently.

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-three and yet not too old to train," Snoke purrs. "Age was a pretext all along. Even as a boy, your father had an impressive connection to the Force. The Jedi Council saw this and they feared it. They knew Anakin Skywalker would one day grow in the Force to eclipse them all. They knew they would not be able to control him like they did other Force-users."

"Tell me about my mother." Young Skywalker seems anxious to leave the topic of his father.

"Your mother was queen and a Senator. A woman of power and influence, of refinement and education. Your father loved her quite desperately. Theirs was a love story for the ages, young Luke. They married in secret and lived a lie for years, hoping one day that they could truly be together. The Jedi Order forbade their union, of course. Likely, so would have the Royal House of Naboo." Snoke shakes his head sadly. "Your parents were star-crossed lovers. They were never allowed the happiness that others take for granted."

"Is she alive?" The boy's voice is shaky and hopeful.

"Alas, no. Padme Amidala died mysteriously in childbirth in the care of Masters Yoda and Kenobi."

"She died in childbirth?" the boy repeats as he blinks.

The old Sith nods yes. "You sound as incredulous as I am. Modern medicine can keep your burn victim quadriplegic father alive and well, but yet somehow your mother died in childbirth. Not coincidentally, your mother died shortly before the Jedi stole her newborn children."

"C-Children?" Luke Skywalker's eyes are huge now.

"Yes. When you return to your training, ask Master Yoda about your twin sister. There is another Skywalker." Snoke leaves it at that. His goal is to whet the boy's appetite for knowledge and to sow seeds of doubt. He switches to asking questions now. "Tell me, young Luke, what did the Jedi explain to you about Darth Vader?"

The boy looks confused and uncertain now. Luke Skywalker is unhappy as he confesses the truth. "Obi-Wan said that Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father."

Snoke knows this, of course, but he feigns shock. "Such a bold lie that was. One wonders how the Jedi thought to get away with such a tale. Did your mentor Kenobi ever explain why Darth Vader wears his mask and suit?"

"No."

"Kenobi did that to your father. The Jedi cut him to ribbons and watched him burn alive. He did not have the good grace to finish him. Instead, he walked away and left him to die. That is the mercy Kenobi showed his own student. A man who was like a brother to him." Snoke steps closer to the sword tip and now it is less than in inch from his chest. "Is it any wonder that your father is an angry, angry man for all that has been stolen from him? The Jedi robbed him of his wife and his children and they ruined his body. And recently, he discovers that the Jedi have reared his long-lost son to assassinate him and rebel against his Empire. Darth Vader is understandably bitter and rather skeptical of your intentions."

"I didn't know that he was my father—"

"But you should have! Go back and ask Master Yoda why he sent you a lamb to the slaughter, unaware and half-trained, to meet your father's sword. You are lucky you lost merely a hand and not your head too! What teacher does that to his student?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons," the boy sputters unhappily. Loyally making excuses for his teacher.

"Master Yoda has his reasons, Luke Skywalker. If you believe nothing else I tell you today, believe this: you, my boy, are a pawn of the Jedi Order's revenge against your father. The Jedi are using you for their own goals. Be careful, boy, because Sidious will do the same."

"Who is Sidious?" Skywalker confesses his ignorance and Snoke has to hide his smile. Truly, this boy knows nothing of the past conflicts that surround him. The hapless Jedi are making this all too easy for him, Snoke thinks. The boy would be Sith already were it not for that Bespin debacle.

"The Sith Darth Sidious is better known to the galaxy as Emperor Palpatine. It is you and your abilities that the Emperor wants. Sidious would gladly sacrifice your father and let you take Vader's place at his side. Mark my words, young Jedi. Sidious will nurture the conflict between you and your father and use it for his own ends. Do not trust the Emperor any more than you trust the Jedi. Each will use you for your power to achieve their goals."

The boy looks truly troubled now. "What's your angle in all of this?" he demands.

"I wish to protect my family from further harm."

"What do you mean?" the boy's eyes narrow.

"Both the Jedi and Darth Sidious have harmed my family. If you join with either of them, your power could be used against my family. I wish to protect them from future harm."

"No," Skywalker shakes his head and rejects this explanation. "You're Sith. You only want power. You're after my power too."

And now a slow, sly smile creeps across this face. "I have power, young Skywalker. More power than you can possibly imagine."

"Then why aren't you Emperor?" the boy challenges this claim.

He shrugs. "I will be. I have the ultimate power, my boy. I have time. And in time, with the Force, anything is possible." Snoke shuffles back a step and draws up his hood. "I leave you now, young Jedi. Think on what I have told you."

And now, finally, the boy deactivates his sword. A degree of trust has been won, albeit a small one. "What do I do now?" Skywalker speaks his confusion aloud.

Snoke starts walking and keeps walking.

The boy calls after him. "Wait!"

Snoke takes two more lumbering steps.

"Wait!"

And now, the Sith halts his progress and turns. Skywalker isn't ready for the meeting to be over, and that tells him it has been a success. It's the first rule of seducing an apprentice: always leave them wanting more.

"Where are you going?"

"To find your sister, I hope. She too deserves to learn the truth."

"Who is she? Where is she?"

Again, Snoke declines to provide all the answers. "Ask Master Yoda. I believe he was the one to arrange her adoption. Go home, boy. The Jedi know everything you seek to know. Ask them yourself." The Sith raises a skeletal hand to wag a finger at the youth. "Accept nothing less than the complete truth, Luke Skywalker. You deserve the truth."

"What about Vader?" the boy whispers his thoughts aloud.

"Stay clear of Lord Vader. You should not fight your own father. That is unnatural. A family should protect one another, not murder each other." Snoke takes one last long look at the young man who will tip the balance of the Force with his decisions. "Goodbye, Luke Skywalker, and good luck. Milo will know how to reach me, should you have the need." Then he resumes his exit.


	5. Chapter 5

"Come, come." The Sith waves the boy into the ritual chamber. Young Luke is back at his temple and it's only been a week to the day from their initial meeting. This is a very good sign. "How is Master Yoda these days? I sense him less in the Force lately. Is he ill?"

"Ill?" The boy looks alarmed at this suggestion. Then he flushes slightly as though defensive. And maybe a little guilty. "I have not seen my Master. I have been attempting to save my friend who Vader gave to a bounty hunter," he grumbles.

"So you have not had an opportunity to ask your Master about what we discussed?" Plagueis raises an eyebrow.

"No." And now the boy looks very defensive. He's been busy plotting with the Sith and wasting time with his friends while he neglects his Jedi training. Either that, or he fears to face his Jedi Master and to hear the ugly truth and field the uncomfortable questions about how he knows to ask. All in all, that's very good, thinks the Sith. Very, very good.

But, of course, he doesn't let on. "That is a pity. Well, welcome back, young Jedi."

The boy nods nervously. This time he has not drawn his sword. He just stands there eyeing the Muun for a moment. Then he blurts out, "What's your angle in all of this? What are you after?"

"It is as I told you," Snoke replies patiently. "I wish to protect my family from further harm."

It's a vague answer and the boy calls him on it. "You are going to have to do better than that."

"Very well then," Snoke smiles indulgently at the youth. "Listen and I will you tell you the tale of my family, young Jedi. It begins, as all things do, with the Force."

"My Master Tenebrous was a man with a very rational mind and he taught me to approach the Force in the same manner. I have devoted my life to the scientific study of the Force. The universe is a rational place, Luke Skywalker. Prophesy, intuition and legend are not the true paths to knowledge of the Force. The Jedi waste their time on all that superstition. The Force is far more powerful, far simpler, and far more knowable than the Jedi would have you believe."

"I have spent years studying midichlorians. They are the essence of the Force, but they are not the whole mystery. They are at best an approximation, more like a reflection of potential than they are a true causation. After many decades of research, I have learned their secrets. I know how to extend life, how to create life anew, and how to resurrect it once lost. All through the power of the Force. I am an old Sith Master with the power of a God, Luke Skywalker."

The boy gapes at his declaration, and this reaction is most gratifying.

"Yes," he purrs. "Through the Force, all things are possible. Why waste your time moving rocks with Yoda when you could be learning my secrets."

"If you are so powerful, then why are you in exile?"

"Yes . . . I was just getting to that. I took Sheev Palpatine on as Apprentice around your age. He had just finished university in Naboo back then. He was full of unfocused ambition and guile. The man has a natural talent in manipulation. He is a born politician with a streak of sadism that no doubt would have gotten him arrested in time. But all his family connections and privilege would have hushed that up, no doubt. Truly, that man relishes violence. At times, it was a problem."

"In all, Darth Sidious was a satisfactory apprentice. His skill in the Force has matured through the years and now he has considerable power. But for many years, Sheev was lackluster with a sword and dismal with the Force. His true skill lay in entrapment and deceit, for he has a brilliant and devious mind. Like every Apprentice, he chafed at the role. And so, I gave him wide latitude. I let him enjoy the limelight, for he is very insecure. But it was not enough for him to be the Supreme Chancellor, he had to be the Master. And so one night, he attacked my family as they lay sleeping. He beheaded my ten-year-old son and hacked my wife to death. What you see here," he gestures to his scarred face, "is courtesy of Darth Sidious."

"If you are so powerful, why couldn't you save your family?" the boy challenges. "Why couldn't you bring them back to life?"

"To revive someone in the Force takes great power and I was mortally wounded myself several times over. It took all my power to keep myself alive, young Luke. My little son, I could not save. My wife, I still hope to revive in the future." He sighs and looks away a moment. "Sheev's treachery did not stop there. Through an unfortunate turn of events, my elder boy had been stolen from me by the Jedi. Raised to be Jedi, wholly ignorant of his Sith heritage. Sidious and I knew, of course. We watched over my boy's progress as best we could. Sheev even openly mentored him in his role in the Senate. He and I were biding our time before we would reveal ourselves to him. My son was Jedi after all and that complicated matters. But with me wounded and my power concentrated on my own survival, Sheev pounced on my boy. He coveted my boy's amazing power. In the end, he took my son as his Apprentice. To control him and to use him."

Luke Skywalker's eyes narrow. "Your Jedi son became Sith?"

"Yes. He was stolen from me first by the Jedi and then by Sheev."

"So you want revenge? For him and for your other family members?"

"Yes. But, as I told you, my primary motivation is to protect my family from further harm. We have suffered enough."

"But they are dead now."

"Not Sheev's Apprentice. Not the Jedi who became Sith." Snoke looks the boy squarely in the eye. "My oldest son still lives and so do his secret twin children."

Skywalker's eyes widen. Then narrow. "What are you telling me?"

"That your father Anakin Skywalker, the Sith Darth Vader, is my oldest son. And you, my boy are my grandson."

"No . . . " Luke Skywalker speaks his thoughts aloud and shakes his head.

"Search your feelings, boy, you know it to be true."

"But you're a Muun! The Skywalkers are human." The young Jedi looks horribly confused and half indignant. "That's not true. That's impossible," he scoffs and looks away. "You lie!"

"Anything is possible in the Force. Years ago, I created your father in the Force. Lord Vader is not my biological child, but he is my creation nonetheless. The Jedi found him before I did and raised him as their own. I am your grandfather, young Luke. I am the original Skywalker Sith."

The boy's face is a thundercloud, but he says nothing.

"The Jedi Chosen One Anakin Skywalker was created by a Sith. Fitting is it not? The Jedi teach that your father will bring balance to the Force." Luke Skywalker is looking at him blankly now and that prompts Snoke to complain, "Has Master Yoda omitted that information too?" Snoke exhales in exasperation. "Truly, you have been deceived, Luke Skywalker."

"I will not be your Apprentice," the boy vows, getting right to the heart of the matter. He is perceptive, Snoke sees.

"Why not? It is your birthright as a Skywalker. Our family is the first family of the Force. Created in the Force to bring balance and to rule in enlightenment. We are Dark and we are Light, we Jedi and we are Sith, we are the alpha and the omega, we shape the future as we fulfill our destiny. Oh, I taught Sheev Palpatine a great deal about the Force. But I saved all my best secrets to pass on to my son Darth Vader and to you."

And now Snoke makes the pitch he has been anticipating for years now. Ever since the news of the Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker leaked. "Join me and together we can depose the Emperor, bring peace to the galaxy, and reunite our family. You, me, Lord Vader and your sister. Together, the way we were always supposed to be."

"I'll never join Vader!" the boy fumes. And Snoke hears the telling omission of his own name in that statement loud and clear.

"We are strongest together."

"I'll never join Vader!" the boy repeats stubbornly.

Snoke crosses his arms and cocks his head as he contemplates the angry youth before him. This is as he expected. He will have to be the advocate for his son. "Have compassion for your father, young Luke. His has been a very hard life. He means well. He wants to save you from the lies of the Jedi and from the mistakes of his own past. Every father wants a better life for their son. Even yours. Perhaps especially yours. For Anakin Skywalker has lived both as a Jedi and as a Sith."

"If your father had a weakness in the eyes of the Jedi, it was that he cared too much for his family. First for his mother and then for his wife. Your poor father tried desperately to save your mother. In the end, he lost her anyway. It was quite tragic." The Muun frowns. So much would have been different had Vader come to him instead of Sheev. And he tells this orphaned boy that. "How I wish your father had sought me out. I could have revived your mother in the Force and given her back to him. The Sith have no prohibitions on attachment. Your family would have been together and been happy." Snoke shakes his head in disdain now. "Truly, it is unnatural what the Jedi ask of a man. Emotion is a strength, not a weakness. You should embrace your desires and seek what fulfills you, Luke. To do otherwise is to rush headlong into misery. The life of a Jedi is a life of denial, frustration and loneliness."

"It is a life of service to others," the boy counters loyally.

He brushes this platitude aside. "You may serve others when you rule the galaxy as a Sith. Leadership is the ultimate in public service, is it not? Your father has a life of significance. Darth Vader makes a meaningful contribution to history. Do you not wish to do the same?"

"Not with him. And not on the Dark Side."

Plagueis gives him a knowing look. "Have you been taught to fear the Dark Side, boy? You have, haven't you?"

The Jedi shifts his stance and shifts his eyes. "Yes," he admits.

"Have you ever wondered why?"

"It is for my own good. To protect me."

"That's Yoda talking. It is to control you, young Skywalker. To limit your power. The Jedi dogma adheres to such a simplistic dichotomy: Dark versus Light, good versus evil, Jedi versus Sith. These are useful constructs, but only to a point. The great mystery of the Force is not so easily summarized, my boy."

"The Jedi fear the Dark Side and my paranoid Apprentice Sidious fears the Light. Arrogantly, Sidious has sought to eliminate the Light by hunting down Jedi. Partly, that was a political move. But partly that was outdated Sith tradition. Persecuting the Light is a fool's errand, Luke Skywalker. The Light and the Dark are eternal. They forever will coexist in the galaxy and within ourselves. The balance between them shifts with the times and cycles over and over. But there is always some form of rough balance to the Force. And so, the Jedi will never defeat the Sith, and the Sith will never defeat the Jedi."

"So what's the point of it all?"

"Ah, such an astute question for one so young." Snoke smiles as he sees the boy's cheeks redden at his praise. "The point is to find balance. If ever the Force tips too far to one side, it rights itself the opposite direction. I am a wise enough Sith to know not to tempt the Force to strike back at me. For when the Dark is too aggressive, the Light grows stronger to compensate. Extreme measures like Sheev's Death Star tempt the Force to strike back." He slants the boy an approving glance. "I am glad that you destroyed that technological terror. One more use and it threatened to undo us all."

"I don't understand. You're on the Dark Side but you don't want to destroy the Light?"

"That is correct. Are you surprised that a Sith can value the Light? I may surprise with my knowledge of the Light. My wife who Sidious murdered had been a Jedi of the Old Republic. Dark and Light coexisted even within my own household for years. I know all about the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. I can quote you Jedi chapter and verse on many topics. Some of which, the Jedi got right. Others, they did not. Joining me is not the same as joining Sidious. We are very different men, young Luke. And two very different Sith."

"If you become my student, you will study the Force in all its glory and from all its angles. Without limitations or restrictions. You may connect with the Force as feels most natural to you. Sometimes, that will be through emotion. Sometimes that will be through calm. The strength and depth of the connection is what matters, not how you achieve it. You may take the best of the Jedi and Sith traditions and transcend them both. But you will need to unlearn some of what you have been taught." He amends himself now, "Perhaps much of what you have been taught."

The boy is wary now. "Obi-Wan warned that this is a dangerous time for me. That I will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force." And, yes, that sounds like the fearmongering of the Jedi.

"You are a bright boy with great talent in the Force. It is only natural that you are curious. That you seek knowledge." Again, the boy colors from his praise. "Beware, young Luke, of any perspective on the Force that clings to its orthodoxy. Truth ought to withstand scrutiny. Even at times to welcome it. Had the Jedi Order been less rigid in its point of view and had it interfered less in politics, it might have survived. But now, the Jedi are all but extinct."

Luke Skywalker disagrees. "Vader and the Emperor are why the Jedi are extinct."

Snoke levels the boy a serious look. "So why choose this course? What are you hoping to achieve by becoming a Jedi?"

The boy thinks a long moment before he answers. "I want to bring peace, freedom, justice and security to the galaxy." Luke looks a bit sheepish as soon as these grand words leave his mouth. But privately, Snoke approves. Ambition is a hallmark of a Skywalker, after all. Just like the Force.

Snoke steps forward now and asks quietly, "Why do you need to be Jedi in order to do that?"

The question appears to the stump the boy.

So Snoke continues. "Not everyone remembers the Jedi Order as fondly as Masters Kenobi and Yoda do. For when the Jedi were at the height of their power, they meddled ceaselessly in everything. In the military, in commerce and in government. They called themselves 'Keepers of the Peace,' but all they really did was intervene to choose their preferred winner for every conflict. From trade routes to taxes to treaties to elections, the Jedi had to have their say. They were constantly embroiled in turf battles because they disdained the courts and the Senate. They preferred to handle matters themselves. The problem was that together the Senate and the courts were the backbone of the Old Republic. Over the years, the actions of the Jedi Order served to weaken them both. And so at the crucial moment when the galaxy needed strong, unified leadership, its institutions failed to resolve the Separatist Crisis. The ensuing war destroyed much of the galaxy for years."

Snoke looks the young Jedi over thoughtfully. "Many, many people died in the Clone Wars. And among those who lived, many blamed the Jedi for their poor military and political leadership. And for the former Jedi Count Dooku, of course."

"The last straw came when the Jedi Council attempted to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor. Yes, Sheev was a Sith lord. But Sheev was still the duly elected Senate Chancellor and the senior Senator from Naboo. The Jedi had no lawful grounds to ambush him and attempt his murder. There was not an investigation, let alone a trial, before the Jedi Council showed up at his office to assassinate him. In the eyes of many, it was a blatant coup attempt. When all the dust settled, no one spoke in defense of the Jedi. Over the years, the Jedi had earned many enemies. The galaxy at large was glad to see them go, Luke Skywalker. No one wants them back."

He pauses but again the boy says nothing. He takes that as a sign that his words are making an impression.

"You are being used to recapture the glory days of a failed institution that was hardly the tool of democracy your mentors would have you believe." The Muun nods gravely at the boy. "Heed my words, Luke Skywalker. Lord Vader and Lord Sidious will not be the only ones who will oppose the rise of a new Jedi Order."

Snoke pulls back now. "I have lectured you, my boy, by speaking at such length. Go consult with Master Yoda and ask for his version of events. Does he truly believe that Lord Sidious and Count Dooku brought down a thousand-year-old democracy completely on their own? That there was no popular will of the people in support of the Empire? We Sith are good, but we are not that good, Luke Skywalker. More appropriately put, we are opportunistic. I am the same way in business as I am in power—I look for opportunities to exploit."

"I am one of those opportunities, aren't I?" Luke Skywalker gives him a cold look. Again, the boy says little but what he does say is insightful.

The Sith merely smiles. "No, young Luke, you are family."

"You can play the reformer's role in the Empire, if you wish. You will have standing with your Rebellion background. Think about it. Consider what you could do if you worked from within the system rather than attacking it from without. You see yourself as a freedom fighter, but to many right now you are a terrorist, Luke Skywalker. But you could be much more than that."

The boy shakes his head at this sentiment. "The Empire will not even tolerate dissent, let alone change."

"Not currently. But under your leadership, it would." Snoke reaches to pull up his hood now. "Consider the matter. Meet me here in a week's time and we will discuss it further." Snoke looks the young Jedi up and down. "You could do great things for the galaxy, if you accept the challenge of leadership." He nods and repeats himself. "Great things . . ." And then he leaves


	6. Chapter 6

He finds all these clandestine meetings in ancient temples to be unnecessary. Not the subterfuge, of course. That is necessary. But the posturing and sepulchral atmosphere makes Vader want to roll his eyes. Yet here he is again, marching into the ritual chamber of a centuries old temple to meet with the darkest, wiliest Sith the galaxy has ever known.

This time, Plagueis is not alone.

At first sight of him, young Luke pulls his sword. He has constructed a new one. Green this time. And ever since Dooku cut his arm off, he's always hated green swords. The Sith Apprentice answers the challenge and pulls his own weapon. Young Luke is about to charge when Plagueis flicks his wrist and neatly pulls the sword from his grasp. Another flick of his wrist sends the boy flying hard into the wall.

"Desist!"

Disapproving Plagueis stalks forward with his lumbering gait to loom over the kid. The Sith drops the boy's new sword at his feet with contempt. "Here is your first lesson, young Skywalker: We use violence sparingly and we reserve it for our enemies."

Vader blinks behind his mask because that philosophy sounds nothing like his star pupil Sidious.

His boy is on his feet now with fire in his eyes. "He is my enemy!"

"He is your father!" Plagueis hisses. "Never again will you pull a sword on him. And do not think to dare pull a sword on me, boy." The old Muun whirls on him now. "Lord Vader, put it away! We are allies, not enemies. Our interests converge. It is time to plot, rather than to fight."

"What is he doing here? I told you-I'll never join him!" His boy spits out his rejection and it stings.

"Would you rather join his Emperor?" Plagueis counters. "Because these are your choices, Jedi: choose your family, choose the Emperor, or choose to die a half-trained Jedi." The boy hesitates and the old Muun waves a skeletal finger under his nose. "You will find that your father is the far preferable choice. Sheev Palpatine is too paranoid of our family to properly mentor either of you. He has taught Lord Vader very little about Darkness. He just declared him Sith and sent him out into the world with no preparation. Ours is a proud tradition of knowledge and stealth. Darkness is a choice, yes, but it is also a process. One does not become Sith at the drop of a hat. It is the work of years of study and discernment. Because of those to whom much is given, much is asked, young Skywalker."

"Now," Plagueis looks thoroughly annoyed. "Lord Vader is here to admit error in your prior meeting. He regrets any harm done to your friends. And he most sincerely regrets the harm done to you."

He WHAT? Vader isn't here to apologize. Sith do not apologize, just like Sith do not forgive. And twice now, the kid has been the one to draw his sword first and start the violence. "Plagueis . . ." he rumbles a warning from beneath his mask.

"Your bounty hunter gave Han to Jabba the Hutt!" rages his son.

"Is this Han person alive?" the Muun intervenes.

"Yes, he's alive. And in perfect hibernation," Vader replies. He will not apologize for the treatment of that smuggler scum. To think that criminal had designs on his daughter.

"Excellent," the Muun decrees. "Then I will buy back this Han from Jabba the Hutt."

"What?" gapes the boy.

"I have good relations with the Hutts. They understand money and I have money. Therefore, we understand each other. I will buy back this Han and the matter is resolved. I trust that the princess and the wookiee are fine?"

"Yes," the boy grumbles. And that is a relief. Vader wonders for a moment whether young Luke knows about the princess. Probably not. No doubt Plagueis is waiting to reveal that particular secret.

"Gentlemen, let us get down to business," the elder Sith recalls them to the task at hand. "Our path forward is clear: Sidious must die. Lord Vader will succeed him as Emperor and Luke Skywalker the Rebel hero will make peace with him publicly and reconcile the Alliance and the Empire. Lord Vader, you will make meaningful concessions to the Alliance and you will publicly apologize for your predecessor's Death Star and for Alderaan."

Again with the apologies? And for Alderaan? He's not apologizing for Alderaan. Not a chance. Just like he's not apologizing for Bespin. What kind of Sith is this Plagueis? And is his kid really this whiney? It was just a hand for Gods' sake. Merely a flesh wound as far as Vader is concerned.

The Muun must see his reluctance because he turns an impatient glance his way. "Lord Vader, if there is to be any hope with the girl, you will need to grovel on Alderaan." And Plagueis might have a point there, he thinks. But why is everyone looking at him like Alderaan is his fault? Really, the Death Star was his Master's brainchild and Tarkin's baby all along. He had never placed much faith in that technological terror. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force. His wayward son had proved that with his lucky shot.

The Muun continues. "Together, you will unify the galaxy so that you can rule it as father and son."

"And what about you?" Vader growls. "What's your role?" He's suspicious.

"I will be where I always am—in the background and in the Force."

"Pulling the strings?" young Luke guesses.

"I prefer to think of it as leading from afar," the Muun purrs.

"No deal!" Skywalker shakes his head and points at Vader. "You killed Obi-Wan!"

"Someone had to," Plagueis deadpans and Vader smirks behind his mask. Clearly, the Muun is becoming weary with this bickering. "Your father had good cause for revenge. Would you like him to remove his mask to show you Kenobi's handiwork?" And now Vader is not so keen on this line of argument. Plagueis keeps piling on. "Do you know how your father has suffered for Obi-Wan Kenobi? His body ruined and his son stolen and hidden from him only to emerge one day in blaze of terrorist glory. Your father is a proud man and he would not want you to see his weakness. But weak he is thanks to Kenobi." The Muun slants the kid a sideways glance. "Count yourself lucky that you only lost a hand when you lost a duel. Your father lost three limbs and his skin to your Jedi mentor."

Still, his boy isn't going for it. "I'm not selling out the Alliance for him!"

"You'd be doing it for the good of the galaxy," Plagueis reminds him calmly. "And for the future. How many more lives do you want your revolution to claim, boy? I am offering a path forward to peace and unity. For the galaxy at a large and for us as a family. You will never get a better offer than this, boy, so be quiet and listen."

Watching that reprimand from old Plagueis is gratifying. His son needs to tone down the righteousness a bit, Vader thinks. Today, he sounds every bit as bad as the girl.

The Muun turns to him and asks, "When is the new Death Star operational?" And how exactly does Plagueis know about that? Vader is floored. It's one of the best kept secrets in the Empire.

"There's another one?" Luke gapes. "You built another one?"

"Tell me this one doesn't have a small thermal exhaust port right below the main port," the Muun sighs. "The Force can't take another father-son trench run, boys. The disturbance you two created was an earthquake to my mind."

"It's behind schedule," Vader is forced to admit. "But the design flaw has been corrected."

"Excellent," the elder Sith approves. "We will use it to kill Sidious. Ordinarily, I would heed to tradition and insist on hand-to-hand combat with the Force and a sword, but I will make an exception in this case. Sidious showed no mercy when he beheaded your Force-blind brother, Lord Vader. My younger son would never have been any threat to Sheev. His death was gratuitous, as was the way Sheev hacked my poor wife to death."

Vader himself is warming to this idea. He wouldn't mind seeing his Master consumed by his own hubris. "There is a certain irony in using his favorite weapon against him."

"Indeed. The ultimate power in the universe is not the weapon, but the man who uses the weapon." The Muun flashes a wicked grin. "I see you get your sense of humor from me, son." Plagueis glances over at the kid. "It must be skipping a generation. I do not think young Luke here can laugh. He is far too earnest."

"You should meet the girl," Vader complains.

And that too makes Plagueis cackle. "Oh, I look forward to it, Lord Vader. You have no idea how much I look forward to it. I like a strong willed woman."

"Then you'll like this one," he grumbles.

The kid's ears perk up. "You've met my sister? Who is she?"

Vader sees the quelling look from the Muun and keeps his silence.

"In due time, my boy, in due time," the Muun soothes. "First, let us get matters settled between us."

But his boy won't be brushed off. "I want to know. I have a right to know."

The tall Muun shoots the kid a look of reproof. "We plot high treason here, boy. Your sister's very existence endangers her, let alone any knowledge of our plot. We will protect her for as long as we can. For now, your sister will remain safely anonymous."

Vader can't keep himself from remarking, "I doubt she would appreciate your paternalism. She's not the type to be protected."

And that comment earns him his very own look of reproof. "All women need protection, Lord Vader, whether they will admit to it or not. And stop pretending you do not like her. She is just as sanctimonious as your lovely late wife. And equally as accomplished and pretty. Brains, beauty and spirit. What more could a man ask for in a daughter?"

"A little less rebellion," he quips in response.

Plagueis shouts with laughter. "Who knew you were so amusing, Lord Vader. Sheev was many things as an Apprentice, but he was never funny. Quite the contrary, in fact."

"Trust me, I know," Vader grumbles.

Again, Plagueis chortles. Then he looks from him to Luke and back again. The Muun with the ruined face is momentarily gleeful. "This is going to be fun. More fun than starting the Clone Wars."

Young Luke looks unconvinced. In fact, he looks increasingly uncomfortable. "Jedi, you have misgivings?" Plagueis raises an eyebrow and it is a truly bizarre sight. "What is it that you need in order to be convinced? What do you require to join us?"

"Answers," his son scowls.

"Ask away." Plagueis sweeps his hand in a magnanimous gesture. The more time Vader spends around this old Sith Master the more engaging and downright jovial the man seems. He is nothing like Vader had expected. And nothing like the practiced faux charm of the politician Emperor. For one, old Darth Plagueis seems to thoroughly enjoy being a Sith. As far as Vader can tell, he alternates between deadly seriousness and a strange esprit de corps. Still, Luke Skywalker isn't impressed. His fears that his son and the Muun will plot against him are probably unfounded, Vader thinks. His son looks far too skeptical and disapproving to double-cross him.

"I want answers from him, not from you," Skywalker states. And here come the uncomfortable questions, Vader thinks.

"What happened to Anakin Skywalker?" his son asks.

Vader is annoyed by all the judgement in his son's tone. He waves a finger at his boy. "That name no longer has any meaning for-"

"Just answer the question. What happened that you fell to the Dark Side?"

Vader's eyes narrow behind his mask at this disrespect. Does the kid want to lose the other hand too? Because he's prepared to take off his left one if this keeps up. Just dredging up these old memories puts him in a bad mood. "I was trying to save your mother. I had foreseen her death in the Force, just like my own mother. Sidious lied to me and said he could save your mother. Stupidly, I believed him."

"How did my mother die?"

"To this day, I don't know. Only Kenobi and Yoda know. Ask them."

"So why did you stay Sith after she was dead?"

Why indeed? The real answer is that the Dark Side is addictive and power goes straight to your head. Plus, the Jedi were gone, his body was ruined and needed constant care, and there would be no opportunity to start over. You don't exactly resign from the fraternity of the Sith. Plus, Anakin Skywalker had long wanted to make a difference in the galaxy. Being part of the new regime was his only chance to do so. He's no quitter like his old Padawan. Darth Vader is a realist who adapts to the situation he's in. But how does he explain all that to this son who is an angry stranger to him? Vader settles on, "I believe in the goals of the Empire."

"Do you believe in its means?"

Again, Vader hears the judgement in his son's tone. It irritates him and so his response is testy. "I lived through the Clone Wars. The Jedi and the Republic allowed their scruples to keep them from doing what they needed to do to win the war. In the end, more people died. Shorter, more decisive conflicts are best."

"Even if that means you blow up Alderaan?" Luke goads him.

"Yes," he answers without hesitation. "We laid waste to most of the galaxy during the Clone Wars. Far more people died in that war than died on Alderaan." Vader repeats himself now. "Shorter, more decisive conflicts are best."

"So the ends justify the means for you every time?" The boy's tone is biting.

Plagueis decides to chime in now. "By the time he was your age, Skywalker, your father had been at war almost a decade. Lord Vader is a warrior Sith and he knows his craft. Listen well to the wisdom of his experience. Now, have you further issues?"

The boy hesitates and that's a yes. "What is it you want?" Plagueis sighs. "Money? I own half the wealth in the galaxy. Well . . . probably closer to two-thirds in a good year for my equity holdings. But good year or bad year, it is more credits than you could ever spend."

"I don't care about credits," boasts the Tatooine farm boy.

"That's very Jedi of you," Vader observes with derision. And he has standing since he's the only one here who was an actual Jedi.

Plagueis smirks. "You were such a poor Jedi monk, my son. Take that in the best way." The Muun turns back to his grandson and asks, "Is it women then? You can keep a wife or keep a harem, and I will not care. That is your business. I will not even exercise veto power. I learned that years ago with Sidious and his devotion to that Underworld whore." The Muun shudders and glances his way. "Sheev is still with that Cole woman, is he not?"

"Yes," Vader confirms and he's fascinated by what he's learning of his Master's relationship to his own Sith Master.

His son looks unimpressed by the latitude being offered, Vader sees. Plagueis realizes it too. "So not women either?" The elder Sith turns back to Vader and looks mystified briefly. "Are their other vices beyond money and women? Not for me." The Muun's eyes narrow as a thought occurs to him. "I disapprove of drugs, Jedi. I will not let you abuse spice or whatever else young people are snorting or smoking these days."

Luke Skywalker just blinks at this.

Vader too is blinking behind his mask. His own conversion to the Dark Side had been a long time in coming but it had happened fast. Palpatine had been his trusted mentor for years and his younger self had believed his Master's claim of cheating death through the Force. Then, Palpatine had been begging him to learn his forbidden knowledge and crowing about unlimited power. Before he knew it, he had cut off Mace Windu's arm and he was kneeling at the Chancellor's feet, pledging his loyalty and getting his Sith title and name. All in all, Sidious' pitch had been serious and focused on Dark power and violence.

By contrast, watching Plagueis sway his son to the Dark Side seems more like participating in a business negotiation. Like when they are through, they will shake hands and execute a letter of intent on a treasonous Sith conspiracy. If all three of them weren't wearing black and standing in a temple, this discussion could be about anything. And Plagueis, it seems, is anxious to close the deal.

"Well, spit it out, boy. What do you want?"

"No more Death Stars," Luke answers.

"Done," Plagueis agrees. "Once we have taken out Sidious with Vader's new one, you can jump in an X-wing and do your thing."

"A Senate," comes his son's next demand.

Again, Plagueis agrees. "A Senate is an excellent idea. We will indulge in the appearance of democracy. Your friends Mon Mothma and Leia Organa can be at the helm to give it some authenticity. We will let those women create as many committees and task forces as they wish. Trust me, the more politicians we get in a room, the less will get done. They will quickly make themselves irrelevant." Vader concurs wholeheartedly.

"Civil rights," the Jedi adds to his list.

The Muun shrugs. "Sure, why not. Anything else?"

"Abolition of slavery."

"Absolutely." The Muun is no fool. He knows his audience.

"Amnesty for all who fought in the Rebellion."

The Muun waves an impatient hand. "Naturally. We will pardon all political prisoners and combatants as part of the peace process. Anything else?"

"Yoda lives."

"No."

"No?" This instant refusal takes young Luke aback.

"No," Plagueis repeats himself firmly. "Yoda dies."

"He must be nine hundred years old by now," Vader reasons. "He's going to die soon anyway." And that argument cuts both ways, he realizes. But either way, the old Jedi Master is a relic of the past who has long outlived his times.

"He will stay in exile," Luke counteroffers. "He will be a passive threat only."

"Yoda stripped my wife and my unborn son of their Force. He will answer for his crimes. It is a personal matter between he and I," Plagueis contends. "I will not involve either of you. But I will have justice for my family."

"You mean revenge?" the young Jedi jeers.

"Call it what you wish. But Master Yoda is mine to deal with."

Here then, is the deal breaker for Skywalker. Perhaps the boy cannot bear to lose both of his Jedi mentors, Obi-Wan to himself and Yoda to Plagueis. Or perhaps the boy is not yet ready to break fully with the Jedi tradition. But there is no compromise on this matter. "I will not let you kill him!" Luke Skywalker draws a line in the sand. His next announcement is very un-Sith. "I will not bargain with my Master's life."

Darth Plagueis too is unwilling to bend. His wheeling and dealing stops and he simply stares in stoney silence at the young Jedi. After a moment, the boy steps back and nods gravely. "No deal then."

"You would walk away from your family and from an Empire for Yoda?" Vader is incredulous. He had always found the ancient Jedi Master to be more annoyingly glib than truly wise. But it was bad politics in the Jedi Order to actually voice this opinion, so Anakin Skywalker had played along.

"You would squander the best chance of peace the galaxy will have for generations? You wish to prolong this bloodshed?" the Muun lays on the guilt. Clearly, the Muun knows his son's altruism is his weakness.

"Yes." Luke Skywalker turns on heel and walks out. "We're done here. There is nothing left to discuss."

There is silence as he and the Muun watch the boy leave in a huff.

"Young fool," Vader gripes when he's gone.

"Indeed," Plagueis agrees. "Can you speed up progress on this new Death Star? The longer this takes, the more at risk we are."

"I will see to it," Vader agrees. This task will not raise suspicion. And even if this conspiracy never comes together, he might gain points with his Master in the process. Vader has been playing at war and Sith strategy for decades now. He knows to keep his options open. It has not gone unnoticed by him that the Muun insists on meeting in this temple. Vader has no idea where Plagueis hides when they are not together. If he knew, that would be useful knowledge to betray to his Master if this deal doesn't come together. And then he and Palpatine could use the Death Star to kill the Muun and he could score some points there with his Master too. Yes, he's got multiple angles on this situation. Vader is no one's fool.

"We will let that idealistic hothead calm down a bit and consider our offer," Plagueis decides. "In the meantime, take care that you and Skywalker do not meet again separately. If he seeks you out, bring him to me."

"I can handle the boy," Vader replies. He's irked both by the Muun's open distrust and by the turn things have taken.

"You did not demonstrate that ability on Bespin, Lord Vader. Whatever you do, do not bring him to Sheev."

"I'm no fool."

"It might be unavoidable. Be careful. If Sheev gets you both in the same room, you are a dead man, my son. Sheev will choose the boy over you." The Muun frowns and thinks a moment. "We may have to kill Sheev first and then recruit the boy. It is not my preferred approach but it might be necessary."

That prospect holds minimal appeal to Vader. He doesn't trust this Muun. He might kill Sidious and steal his role as Emperor. This leading from afar business Plagueis claims does not inspire confidence. And there is no guarantee that the boy will ever join them in the end. And so, Vader would be taking an awful risk just to exchange one Sith Master for another.

This is all about Luke Skywalker, Vader decides. His son is the only thing worth the risk of changing Masters. Killing Sidious was never the goal here. Vader isn't going to act with Plagueis unless the boy is part of the deal. But the Muun doesn't need to know that. Yet.

Vader voices aloud his concerns. "That boy belongs with me. But he will be hard to persuade." If he and Luke can't be in the same room together for half an hour, how can they possibly rule an empire together?

"His compassion for you will be his undoing," Plagueis observes softly.

Vader looks up, surprised at this remark. "He hates me." That business with the hand on Bespin had been a bad idea in hindsight. He would never admit it aloud, but Plagueis is right. And when the identity of his twin sister finally comes to light, Luke will only hate him more. That Death Star mind probe interrogation of Leia Organa hadn't been pretty. But knowing the full truth now, Vader is sort of proud that she had put up such a fight. It's just what his Padme would have done.

"He wants to relate to you. He wants to understand you." The old Muun continues with his quiet insight.

"He hates me," Vader sighs. His son chose death at Cloud City rather than to join him. And today, his son chose Master Yoda over ruling the galaxy with him. The rejection is humiliating. Vader doesn't know why, but his son's approval matters to him. He's tired of being judged wanting by everyone from Sidious to Plagueis to the Rebellion to his son. Whether he was Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader, he has been the subject of constant criticism. It grates on him. Just for once, it would be nice to meet someone's expectations. Or maybe even exceed them.

"He fears becoming you," the Muun muses.

And that observation is hopeful in a way, at least. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side," Vader quotes the Jedi teaching of his youth.

But the old Master disagrees. "There are many paths to the Dark Side, Lord Vader. Fear is seldom it. Fear tends to keep a man from acting. Fear makes him hesitate before he commits. Overconfidence is usually a Sith's weakness, not fear." This is true, Vader thinks. So much of what the Jedi taught about the Sith was inaccurate. The Sith are far more complex and subtle than the Jedi gave them credit for. And strangely high minded at moments, too.

"It is unavoidable. The Dark Side is your son's destiny as a Skywalker. We shall be patient." The Muun now resumes his plotting. "How soon can you get your Death Star running?"

Vader decides right then to speed things up, but not too fast. They need time to work on the boy some more. Because Darth Vader is not about to move forward with this plot unless his boy has affirmatively chosen to join him. That's his own deal breaker: he wants his son to choose him as a father. "You'll get your revenge when I get my boy."

The point is taken. Plagueis nods his understanding. Vader watches as the old Muun produces a respirator mask from his robes and takes a hit on it. And then another. Vader had noticed immediately today that Plagueis was not wearing the respirator he remembers from their prior two meetings. The old Sith Master had not wanted the young Jedi to see the extent of his infirmity. Is Plagueis ashamed of his weakness, Vader wonders? He watches as yet again the Muun takes a long draw of oxygen.

Plagueis sees his scrutiny and makes light of it. "We are all damaged, Lord Vader. None of us is very pretty these days, even Sheev," he smirks. "At least I have the excuse of extreme age. When three hundred years old you reach, Lord Vader, look as good you will not."

Yoda jokes? Is this guy for real? Vader doesn't know what to make of this. And damned if old Plagueis doesn't seem to be enjoying his stunned befuddlement.

"Remember to bring the boy to me," Plagueis instructs. "Only together can we turn him to the Dark Side and save him from Sheev."

Vader isn't so sure of this. The Muun's strategy of promising his boy money and women had missed the mark widely. "Does that mean you are willing to concede on Yoda?" Vader probes.

"No. Killing Yoda is more than my own stubborn vengeance, Lord Vader. It is the principle of the matter. No one can turn Sith by insisting a Jedi lives. There is always sacrifice when choosing the Dark Force. Master Yoda will be the price your boy pays for his power." The Muun thinks a moment. "Perhaps there can be a compromise if Yoda lives but I strip him of his Force . . . "

Eye for an eye? Vader likes that symmetry. Stripping Yoda of his Force will probably kill him anyway. "Fine," he agrees. "What about the girl?"

"Leave her to me."

That makes sense, Vader has to admit. As estranged as he is from young Luke, there is far more conflict between him and Leia Organa. And that's one more reason he needs to win over his son's affections. Because Luke will be key if he is to ever develop a relationship to his daughter. If that sadist Sidious ever learns he has a daughter . . . Well, that simply cannot happen, Vader decides.

"Do not despair, Lord Vader. Today held some promise. Luke Skywalker is still very young. He is not used to the responsibility of being a leader. He still thinks he's a nobody thrust into the spotlight. In time, he will become more confident and less dependent on figures like Yoda in his life."

Vader is unconvinced. And on the whole, he is disappointed and discouraged. This feels a bit like Bespin all over again.

"Young Luke has gone everywhere looking for his missing father. To your step-brother, to Kenobi, and now to Yoda. Our task is to help him realize that the guidance and approval he seeks is here for the taking. That is when we will have him. Mark my words, Lord Vader, his compassion for you will be his undoing. Luke Skywalker will be back."

Vader nods and strives to be hopeful.

"Remember, bring him to me. Not to Sheev."


	7. Chapter 7

"Master!"

Old Milo is at his side in an instant as he falters and stumbles blindly to catch himself against the nearest wall. He leans there, breathing heavily as the feeling washes over him. It is a torrent of energy released in the Force, sending a shockwave to his mind. His heart skips a beat as he realizes the meaning: death.

"Are you alright?"

No, he is not alright. But the cause is not illness. "Something terrible has happened . . . " Darth Plagueis breathes aloud. For this surely is loss. Terrible, forever loss. Personal loss. Loss like he has not felt since that night decades ago when Sidious took a sword to his face and to his sleeping family.

"Master, I will summon help—"

"No, Milo," he groans out as he rights himself and regains his composure. He reaches down now to pat fondly at the shoulder of his faithful servant. "Thank you, old friend. But there is no help for this. There has been a great disturbance in the Force."

And now, Darth Plagueis closes his eyes and opens his mind to the Force. From long practice, he is deeply immersed in an instant, floating in the ebbs and flows of the universe. Here life converges and time folds on itself. Here truths are revealed and foretold. "Lord Sidious and Lord Vader are dead," he announces as he senses them in the murky Dark ether of the Force. "My Apprentice and my son are one with the Force."

"And the boy?" Milo rushes to ask. His servant is agitated, and this is totally out of character. But understandable given the calamity that has just befallen the Sith.

"The Jedi lives."

At his side, Milo breathes a sigh of relief. "That boy is your last hope."

"No," Snoke decides. "There will be another." While he will need to tease out from the Force the details of what occurred, he is certain that Luke Skywalker is responsible and that the boy is now forever committed to the Light. With a heavy heart, he reveals, "My prodigal grandson will never come home now, Milo. By this act, he is lost to us, I fear. We shall have to wait for another."

Milo is troubled. "But how, Master? He is Jedi. There will be no Skywalker son born to that one. He is devout to his cult."

Yes, this is true, Snoke knows. But there are other means. "His sister will give us our new prince. My wife foresaw another prince in the Force long ago. It must be the sister's son."

Milo raises an eyebrow with the familiarity of a long established member of the household. "Does this mean you no longer want the princess for your own?" he asks quietly.

The Sith sighs and concedes, "I will sacrifice for the future. If she is to give us a new hope, then she must marry a human man with whom she can procreate. Let us hope it is not this smuggler fellow. He is an embarrassment." Here too is another loss, the Muun realizes. For now, there will be more years of solitude alone without a lady of the Light. Leia Organa will not become the sixth wife like he had hoped. He sinks down into a chair and frowns. So many opportunities are lost to him now. Destiny has just been rearranged.

"What do we do now?" Milo is ever practical.

He thinks a moment. "Go quick to Coruscant and steal me back what Sheev took of my library."

The servant nods. "And then?"

"And then we wait, old friend. We will let war rage and then peace be declared."

"Peace?" Milo looks slightly aghast at this suggestion. "But peace—"

"Is a lie," Snoke finishes for him. "We need the galaxy to conclude that as well. My friend, we watched the Empire rise and now we will watch it fall and chaos reign. Only when conflicts are ripe for more war will conditions be primed to build anew out of the ashes of what remains. So that when our next prince comes of age, he will inherit a cause and an army."

"And then you will reemerge, Master?" Milo asks hopefully. "For too long you have languished out here in obscurity, Master. The galaxy needs you, my lord."

"In due time. Not yet. Now we wait." He shoots his old servant a conspiratorial glance. "Never fear, Milo. Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy. I had hoped that this would be the generation to bring balance to the Force. But we will have to wait for the next." He sighs again and shakes his head sadly.

Only in front of old Milo is he so unguarded. Snoke lets all of his bitter disappointment show. Today is a great loss. For the galaxy, for the Sith, and for himself.

"I am very sorry, Master," his longtime servant says with much regret. Milo knows him better than anyone left alive. He knows how hard it was to lose his wife and younger son. And now his older son too.

"Vader had such promise. I wanted more for him . . . " The Sith makes a face and gives in to frustration, a rare occurrence. But his heart is brought low today. "Tell me, Milo, why is it that their paths are so hard?" he bemoans bitterly. "Neither my son nor my grandson could find their way home. Anakin, my poor Anakin. He was worth two of that boy . . . "

After the silence hangs heavy between them, old Milo speaks up. His voice is quiet and firm. "We will not let this next prince get away from us, Master."

This is the encouragement he needs to hear just now. He has waited so many years in exile, slowly rebuilding his power and biding his time for the right moment to take action. And now that the twin goals he lives for were finally within reach-now that he might rule the galaxy and reunite what is left of his family—suddenly and irrevocably, all is lost. It is a very great blow.

If this was Luke Skywalker's doing, then the Jedi has just earned himself a powerful enemy, Snoke decides. He will avenge his fallen son.

Snoke nods gravely to Milo. "I will have faith in the Force that our family will one day unite. That unto us a son will be given who has the courage to lead. We are the Chosen Ones, Milo. Ultimately, we will leave behind these conflicts and bring balance to the Force."

"Perhaps you should start younger this time," the servant suggests.

He considers this. "Perhaps. Let us watch and see how our next prince develops. When the time is right, I will intervene. I will not allow him to be seduced by the lies of the Jedi. Our next prince will know to revere his fierce Sith heritage. Together, he and I will finish what Darth Vader started." But ruefully, he must concede, "The Force is ever with the Skywalkers. But today, it chose the side of the Jedi."

"I am so very sorry, Master."

"Thank you, Milo. I would like to be alone now."

He sits there a long moment and then closes his eyes to again dissolve his mind into the Force. He searches for an echo of the essence he remembers fondly as his son. The fatherless slave boy turned hero who rose to rule the galaxy. The stolen child whose life he was forced to watch from afar. _May the Force be with you, Lord Vader_. _You will be remembered._ _I will put your name on my temple wall._


	8. Chapter 8

Hello and thanks for reading. Here are a few comments on this story.

I wrote three chapters of this fic and then let it sit for months. Sorry for that! It's very unlike me. Finally, I came back to it and pounded the last four chapters out in a week. I took inspiration from the amazing "Grand Inquisitor" scene of Verdi's opera _Don Carlo_ where the king of Spain meets the leader of the Spanish Inquisition. Listening to it reminded me strongly of the Plagueis/opera scene music from episode 3 soundtrack that is similar to the Snoke music from episode 7's soundtrack. The _Don Carlo_ scene is also a dramatic secret meeting of two powerful men, very much like how I envision Snoke meeting Vader to plot might be.

I wrote this little fic for a few reasons. First and foremost, I wanted there to be a backstory between Luke and Snoke that predates Kylo Ren. I will be disappointed if we do not find out that there is some history between Luke Skywalker and Snoke. Certainly, I expect for there to have been at least one confrontation between Luke and Snoke over Ben Solo. Whether or not there will be a history (or some form of connection) between Snoke and Darth Vader is just rumor now. There are a lot of Snoke theories out there-who knows how it will all play out-but obviously, my favorite outcome is Snoke as Sidious' Sith Master and the father in the Force of Darth Vader. I love the idea of connecting all 3 trilogies this way. I am not a prequel hater. I honor the ambitions on the prequels, even if I see the flaws in their execution. But on the whole, they add a great deal of complexity and depth to the saga.

I love the idea of Luke redeeming his father through believing in his intrinsic humanity. The Episode 6 ending is just perfect. But how do we get there from the awful reveal and hand hack of Episode 5? I had this idea that Luke would be very curious about his father and the more he learned about his father the more his compassion is awakened. Ultimately, it is that compassion that wins the day in Episode 6. But where do you learn the sad truth of Lord Vader? Certainly not from Yoda and Force Ghost Obi-Wan. In my story, it comes from Snoke. In trying to dampen the conflict between Luke and Vader by awakening sympathy in Luke, Snoke inadvertently paves the way for Luke's redemption of his father. Strangely enough, Luke emerges a stronger Jedi from Snoke's attempt to turn him Sith.

In the end, Snoke is left disappointed. He reverts to what he's been doing: he waits and hopes. In Snoke's mind, Ben Solo is born to be Sith. He's the son and grandson Snoke never got to train. This time around, Snoke is determined not to let another Skywalker get away. And this is the second reason I wrote this story: I wanted this fic to provide some context to the Snoke-Kylo Ren relationship that appears in my Reylo stories.

I write the Sith as a family full of dysfunction and drama, with the evil patriarch Snoke meddling and pulling the strings. Bits and pieces of Snoke's backstory from my stories _Fifth Wife_ and _Red_ appear in this fic as well as plenty of Snoke's attitudes, ideas and personality from my various Reylo tales, especially _Fulcrum_ and _Fulcrum Part Two_. Milo, Snoke's zombie servant from those and other stories is also present as well.

This story has Snoke quietly angling for Leia Organa as his new bride. Readers of my Reylo fics will know why a lady with the Light is so prized by a Sith. The Darker the Sith, the stronger his call to the Light. It's "balance" on a personal level, so to speak. Snoke doesn't get Leia in this fic. But Snoke does end up with Leia many years later in my Reylo story _Immune to the Light_.

I have always envisioned Snoke as having a soft spot for his son Anakin. In my head, Snoke is a bit guilty over letting him become a Jedi and for how his life has turned out. Snoke views Vader as a child stolen by the Jedi, a bit like one generation later the Skywalker twins are "stolen" by the Jedi. That theme (written from the Sith perspective, of course) appears in _Red_ when Palpatine too has a child "stolen" by the Jedi whose ultimate progeny becomes Rey of Jakku in my stories _Immune to the Light_ and _Ghosts of the Past_.

The ideas about the Force and about the Sith in this fic are consistent with my other stories (save _You Need a Teacher_ , which is a total departure). I write the Sith and the Dark Side from their own unique perspective. It's full of betrayals, secrets, sex and violence. My Sith are obsessive, possessive, determined and contradictory. They are very human (even if they are Muun), with the full gamut of emotions beyond just cold anger and rage. Ultimately, they are a family, with all the conflicts and connections that make those relationships so problematic and yet so rich and compelling.

Thanks again for reading.


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